When you row down the river, you may feel excited and love the wind that’s touching your face and hair. But you should dress properly, else this wind may cause illness. Here are three essential clothing you need for rowing.

Tops

Your rowing clothes must not be loose. They can get caught in the boat’s equipment, and your motion might be restricted for it. You should avoid items that are made of cotton as they will get heavy when wet. It is best to wear a snug T-shirt made of synthetic fibres. You can go for either short or long sleeves. You can add a close-fitting waterproof windbreaker on top so that you stay dry and warm. You can wear a jacket under your windbreaker on a chilly day.

Bottoms

You should avoid wearing baggy pants as they may get tangled in your sliding seat while rowing. You should wear stretchy bike shorts on hot days or runner leggings on colder days. You should never wear jeans when you row. Jeans will restrict your movement and will get heavy when wet.

Footwear

In most rowing boats, there are built-in shoes. Still, you need athletic shoes with gripped soles so that you can walk safely on the dock. You should wear thick and padded socks that can protect your feet. You should avoid cotton socks and wear wool socks instead to keep you warm.

Other accessories

You should wear hat or baseball cap to protect yourself from the sun during sunny days. You must wear a snug knit cap in colder weather. You may have to wear gloves while rowing.

Whatever the weather is, you must choose appropriate clothing to keep yourself comfortable. Proper clothing will also help you to row better.

Rowing is one of the most calming sports that you can do especially in the morning when the water is calm. It is a great form of exercise. It can be done both solo or as part of a team. Here are the major health benefits of rowing.

Promotes healthy body composition

It can maintain a healthy balance of fat and fat-free mass in the body. If your body fat is high, rowing can help burning off the fat. You can burn up to 600 calories per hour of body fat by rowing. It is an excellent exercise for weight loss, but you won’t feel the wear and tear on your body and joints as much as the other sports like running because Rowing is a low impact exercise.

Improves cardiorespiratory system

Rowing improves your lung’s ability to provide oxygen to the blood, heart and other parts of the body. It can reduce the chance of having heart disease.

Builds muscle strength

Rowers work the quadriceps mainly. These are the large muscles in front of your thighs which are responsible for extending the knee. It allows you to do powerful leg movements. When these muscles become stronger, you can do jogging, lunges, etc. more efficiently. Rowing is great for people suffering from arthritis or osteoporosis.

Reduces stress

The rhythmic and consistent activity of rowing and being on the water has a positive impact on reducing stress. So, if you do one hour of rowing everyday, you can get rid of all your stress.

Provides full body exercise

Rowing works the lower back, middle back, calves, hamstrings, biceps and gluteal muscles. It offers low impact exercise, so people of various fitness levels can do it comfortably.

There is nothing more relaxing than being on the water. Once you learn the basic technique of rowing, you will enjoy it and will feel like doing it everyday.

Rowing is a very enjoyable exercise. It is great fun and good for the body as well. If you are involved in rowing, the following tips will help you to become a better rower.

Don’t grip too hard

Don’t grip very hard. You only need to keep enough grip so that you don’t lose the handle. If you hold it too tight, you will have achy forearms, and you may tear up your palms.

Drive with your legs

Rowing mostly involves leg works. Your legs are stronger than your arms. So, your legs must do the majority of the work. You shouldn’t pull with your arms. You must keep your elbows straight as you drive your legs. You should remember that your legs will do most of the work, and not your arms. If your arms bend, you will lose the ability to convert the power from your legs.

Sit up tall and breathe properly

You should hinge at the hips and keep good posture. You must lift your chest up and don’t collapse your lower back or shoulder. You must be relaxed. You should breathe properly. You must exhale as you drive back and inhale as you recover forward.

Focus on consistent, steady movement

You should practice steady and consistent movement. As you are on the water, the smooth movement will be fast and efficient. If your movements are jerky, it will make waves, and your boat may flip.

You should follow these tips to become a more efficient rower. This way you will be less injured as well. The more you practice, the better you will become at rowing.